


Pledge

by SaraJaye



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alluded-to child abuse, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Count Varley is the worst, Crimson Flower, F/F, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route Spoilers, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Battle, Post-Darkness Beneath the Earth, Promises, Red String of Fate, Serious Injuries, Worried Dorothea, mentioned minor character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:21:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22669204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye
Summary: The first time Bernadetta refused to apologize for something was the first time they kissed. The second time, she almost got herself killed.
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Bernadetta von Varley
Kudos: 50
Collections: Femslash February, Trope Bingo: Round Fourteen





	Pledge

Sometimes Bernadetta, for all her shyness and fear, can be quite reckless. Even now it still surprises Dorothea when she leaps in front of her during a battle to completely _destroy_ an enemy that so much as looked at her cross-eyed. Granted, Dorothea's specialties lie in magic, and her defenses aren't that strong, so she appreciates the help.

But it's also led to Bernadetta getting hurt more than Dorothea is comfortable with. Like today, with the two of them stranded in a denser part of the Sealed Forest, surrounded by beasts, Bernadetta's batallion having withdrawn and her weapons worn and with only one vulnerary between them. If she ran and hid, Dorothea would have understood, even felt relieved.

But she stayed, kept fighting until she couldn't any more, and by the time Edelgard found them Bern was nearly unconscious. The only thing that kept Dorothea from panicking was the consistent glow of the red string between their fingers.

It always comes back to that string. From the day she first discovered it, to the moment it led them to each other, Bern plucking up what little nerve she had to confess her love. Their first kiss, clumsy and awkward but Bernadetta refusing to apologize for doing what she'd wanted to since the day they met.

It was the first time Bernadetta von Varley had refused to apologize for anything.

Dorothea waits outside the infirmary, eyes fixed on the red string as the glow intensifies, then suddenly calms down to a softer shimmer as Manuela opens the door, smiling.

"She's awake. Luckily, her wounds weren't too serious." She shakes her head. " _Very_ luckily, you know how those demonic beasts can be." Dorothea lets out the breath she'd been holding since they returned to Garreg Mach, tears of relief filling her eyes.

"Thank you."

"She's asking for you. Just try to keep it calm, she still needs her rest," Manuela says, patting her shoulder as she leads her into the infirmary. Bernadetta's lying on one of the beds, her hair mussed slightly against the pillow. Dorothea is relieved to see only a few visible scratches and bruises.

"You must be exhausted," she murmurs to her mentor. Manuela takes her job as a physician very seriously, and right now she looks ready to collapse. "Why don't you go to bed? I'll stay here with her." Manuela nods gratefully and takes her leave, and once she's gone Bernadetta clasps Dorothea's hand in her own.

"You're safe." Dorothea doesn't know whether to laugh or cry at that.

"You're not allowed to be worried about me right now. I could've handled those beasts on my own!" she scolds. "You really scared me. I know you've gotten braver since we became the Black Eagle Strike Force, but today you were just _crazy._ If Edie and the professor hadn't shown up when they did..." She squeezes her eyes shut, the vibrant shadow of the string blazing behind her lids. Bernadetta's fingers lace through her own, and Dorothea hears a sniffle.

"I'm not sorry." Dorothea's eyes snap open, meeting Bernadetta's unusually firm gaze. "I did what I did to protect you, and I'd do it again."

"Oh, Bern..."

"And besides, it takes more than a few beasts to get rid of me," Bernadetta continues, a small gleam coming to her tired eyes, and Dorothea smiles, remembering a certain conversation they'd had during their Academy days. _Even back then, you just wanted to protect me, didn't you?_

"Even so," she says, blinking against the fresh tears in her eyes, "promise me you'll try not to do anything like that ever again. They say anything can happen during a war, but I want us to be the exception. I want us to get through this alive so I can marry you as soon as possible."

Bernadetta's cheeks flush. This isn't the first time they've discussed marriage, but sometimes Bernadetta still seems to be in a state of disbelief that Dorothea is truly _hers,_ that someone like her could be bound by fate to Dorothea.

_Sometimes I wonder how a penniless bastard child who had to claw her way to comfortable could be bound to a lady like you, Bern._

"I want to marry you, too. But with my father dead, House Varley's a mess, there's so much I'll have to help my mother with," Bernadetta says. "A-and even if she wasn't as bad as my father she can still be...well...I need to make sure she'll behave herself and like you and that Varley territory won't be awful to you! Even if I'm not in charge they still have to be nice to you!"

"Oh, Bernie..." Dorothea slides under the covers and embraces her, stroking her trembling back. Even now, Bernadetta still works herself up into a panic over her family's opinions, and Dorothea wishes she'd been the one to kill Count Varley instead of leaving it to some random battle with the Kingdom. "Let's cross that bridge when we come to it, okay? First you have to promise that you'll stop being so reckless so we can live through this."

"Mm..." Bernadetta shifts slightly in the embrace to rest her cheek against Dorothea's chest. "I'll try, okay? But you have to promise me the same thing. I've seen you get a little careless, too." Dorothea sighs. Bernadetta refers mostly to their Academy days, but she won't argue semantics right now.

"I promise." Dorothea lifts her hand, letting Bernadetta see the glow of the string. After a moment, Bernadetta raises her own finger, smiling tearfully.

"I promise, too." She closes her eyes, yawning a little. "Go to sleep, Dorothea. I'll be okay." Usually, Dorothea's the one saying such things, but it's nice to hear. Just like their relationship has made Bernadetta stronger, Dorothea feels more comfortable showing her vulnerability.

She closes her own eyes, resting her cheek against her lover's hair. Their string glows brightly in the dark, even behind the veil of her eyelids.

"Sleep well, Bern."

**Author's Note:**

> I'll always wish these two had a paired ending.


End file.
